FashionPedia Wiki
'Welcome to the FashionPedia Wiki' Your vault of access to old things fashion. BY: CATALINA MORENO MONROY ''Summary'' The historic evolution of fashion as a social phenomenon towards the centuries and decades. Fashion. It has always made people dream by stimulating their imagination, titillating their senses and blunting their desires. Adulated by some who venerate her creative side and hooped by others who see in it only a superficiality and Its ephemeral side, it is clear that fashion is a fundamental psychosocial phenomenon within any society. As history changes, it is clear that fashion changes as well, to adapt to the current era. On ancient times, fashion was relatively simple, dedicated to practical function rather than to style. Clothes were always loose fitting, never tight (reason why tunics were the choice). They were covered with other layers of fabric, worn by both, men and women. Plain fabrics with no patterns or vibrant colors were usually used. Near 401-500 AD, clothing began to include a wider range of colors and women adorned themselves with jewelry (bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings) made from earthy materials. Cosmetics were also around in this era. Medieval times made it to evolve into militaristic for men: tunics, capes, and trousers. On the other hand, women's clothing was a loose tunic worn over a sleeved, fitted tunic. After the increasing trade from the East and improved textile-making techniques, brocades, silks, and velvets were suddenly introduced into society. Medieval life was kind of monotonous and relatively dark, people delighted in color and portrayed this in their clothing. Colors came to have symbolic meanings: blue for fidelity, green for passion, gray for pensiveness, and yellow for anger. About 1450, the Renaissance appeared and brought strong influences from Medieval times. Clothing started to become rounder and fuller. Women’s clothing began with high waistlines, square necklines, and finestrella sleeves. Sleeves became rounder and had to be stuffed. Necklines remained square. A thing to highlight is that tailors became prestigious men (nobles and middle-class hired personal tailors to create their daily clothings). Tailor guilds and businesses spread and increased and some of them traveled around and worked for people who lived in the country and thus farther away. The Baroque/Rococo emerged between 1650-1800 and fashion designers gained even more influence since people struggled to be clothed in the latest styles. Fashion magazines emerged aimed at intelligent readers, and then, capturing the attention of lower classes with their colorful illustrations. During this period, a new silhouette for women was developing. Panniers, or wide hoops worn under the skirt that extended sideways, became a staple. Waists were tightly constricted by corsets, provided contrasts to the wide skirts. The Rococo era was defined by seemingly contrasting aspects: extravagance and a quest for simplicity, light colors and heavy materials, aristocrats and the bourgeoisie From this point, clothing suffered a huge transformation, returning to previous trends and creating new ones. Several styles showed up almost every decade during a complete century. Dresses’ designs have a great influence from Greek esthetics and the most commonly used color is white. Men wear hats and long coats. Both, women and men, began to wear stronger fabric and shoulder pads. The dresses had a details like gemstones. The designs became increasingly complex and showy. People continued to wear coats to cope with the intense cold during that time. They began to wear much wider sleeves in both dresses and men's shirts. They also started to wear cloaks rather than coats. Gothic style becomes fashionable, dark colors begin to be worn and the skirts are worn much more domed. The skirts are now used with a cage to hold the entire weight of the fabrics as they were worn too heavy dresses. Men wore long straight pants and high hats. Deep and square necklines were used by women, for the holidays, and two-piece dresses and hats were worn, as well. At the very end, it was a very uncomfortable time for women and men because they wore long, tight dresses and its fabrics were very hard as well. A new century raised (1900 to 1990) and aside political struggles, fashion did not stop its evolution. Back then, the skirts were worn to the ankle in order to give greater comfort to the women; simpler and more sober clothes appeared due to World War I. Because of World War II, women started to work, bringing loose dresses and skirts with long straps above the ankle. Materials that were needed for military purposes were restricted for civilian use. After the war ended, a culture became popular among women to be perfect, modest and formal wives. Long skirts were worn along with blouses with delicate cuts and for parties and social interaction, very showy dresses became a trend. Later 1900s brought liberal and uncomplicated tendencies from Europe, using psychedelic colors and uncomplicated designs. Fashion was now focused on young people. Women started to wear pants and blue jeans appeared. Light and loose fabrics were used and women were free enough to be (and feel) sexy. They also wore bell-bottoms as a result of disco music. The shoulder pads, the sequins and the vivid colors became fashionable. Music has a great influence on fashion and thanks to MTV, young people are still under the spotlight. By the dawn of a new millennium (1900 to 2000 and forth), supermodels impose themselves as the prototype of beauty. The grunge and alternative cultures are born, with gothic waves in the mid-90's. Fashion is becoming cyclic, trying to recycle its greatness from previous decades. Any attempt to summarize fashion’s or clothing’s history is nothing but a glimpse. Having a deep thought about it, we cannot hesitate in considering fashion (as a concept) within the framework of modernity, That is, in a simple way. progress and innovation. Within any cultural context, the “old” and the "modern" alternate significantly, both at once, so it is always at the same time neo and retro, modern and anachronistic. And as time goes by, it quickly becomes a dynamic amalgam and and constant recycling process. ESSAY BY: Catalina Moreno. Scholar project. Notable Designers "Louella Ballerino (1900 -1978) was a young mother when she first embarked on a professional design career in the mid to late-30s. She had studied with MGM costume designer Andre Ani (over 40 films, c. 1925-1930) while an art history major at the University of Southern California. When her family found themselves in financial difficulties after the Depression, Louella returned to a student money-making scheme of selling fashion sketches to wholesale manufacturers. She could make $125 a month from these drawings. At the same time, Louella enrolled in pattern-making and tailoring courses at the Frank Wiggins Trade High School, Los Angeles, while gaining practical experience working in a prestigious custom dress shop. Louella’s designs started to be used in the dress shop too, while at the Institute, her teachers decided to promote her to tutor classes in Fashion Theory. After gaining further experience with manufacturers, Louella started her own custom business in partnership with a friend in the late 30s or c. 1940. The partnership later became a solo venture, illustrating the instability of a design-business without a full industrial co-producer, or a moneyed backer. But apart from being fostered by the academic art school atmosphere, Louella Ballerino seems to have drawn strength and commercial support from the local California design movement, a trend driven both by the West coast lifestyle and the response to it by a new wave of fashion designers and manufacturers, a group of ‘Californian Fashionistas’ with whom Louella consistently showed her designs through the late 40s." Source: ☀http://vintagefashionguild.org/ Interesting Facts! 1. The word ‘jeans’ comes from the cotton pants worn by “Genes,” the local term for Genoan sailors. 2. Dresses and skirts are commonly seen as women’s clothing in the West, but in other parts of the world, men wear them as frequently as women do. 3. Initially, both men and women wore togas in Rome, but after the 2nd century BC, respectable women wore stolas and prostitutes were required to wear a toga. 4. ame popular after its discovery in King Tutankhamun’s tomb in the 1920s. 5. For all the hoopla made about Fashion Week, the average fashion show is only about 10 minutes long. Gallery Funny fashion! Latest activity Photos and videos are a great way to add visuals to your wiki. Find videos about your topic by exploring Fandom's Video Library. Category:Browse